Wildfire in Suffolk.

[Rituelec]

I am feeling so sad about the wildfire in Suffolk at Dunwich Heath.

I don't live too far away, a few miles. This feels very close to home and I just feel sadness for the ecosystem and animals right now.

Very scary.

A single fire may well lead to regeneration but multiple fires over short periods (eg 20 years) degrades the environment to the point that recovery is far more difficult. It isn’t something to be dismissive about.

In addition there is obviously a difference between planned, managed fires (fire breaks, checks re soil dryness, humidity & wind direction, done in coordination with the fire service) and wildfires which put people & property at risk.

Absolutely gutted about this, love visiting Minsmere and Dunwich so much. Yes the reed beds will regenerate but it'll take years for the larger shrubs and trees to regrow and the diversity of species to return.

No it doesn’t happen to this extent. Unfortunately wildlife, trees, shrubs and heathland do not regenerate when fires like this happen year after year. Trees take decades to grow and are burned is minutes. The intense summer heat alone, year after year stresses trees beyond what they can survive.

It demonstrably is not all going to be ok.

And rain is not coming in Suffolk. We might get a couple of hours next week, but invariably the forecast for rain diminishes day by day

I saw something say there was 15 in France over a 5yr period....this year alone had 300. It is not normal.

Is it? I've lived places where fire has been part of both the ecology of the forest, and indigenous practices. But is it in the UK?

This is a disgrace. I hope it makes them rethinnk (or even just start thinking).

This is breaking my heart. I’m so proud to live in Suffolk, and we’ve had two huge fires in the farmer fields in both villages next to mine in the last 3-4 days.

No. This is wilful complacency. What we are facing is not a natural cycle. It takes 10 years for tree growth to begin to recover and up to 25 years to restore the vegetal environment. This cannot happen with yearly devastation

https://www.carbonbrief.org/forests-taking-longer-to-recover-from-severe-megafires-since-2010

Yes if it’s small areas, though burning off heathland for grouse rearing and shooting is in my view a rural crime. Not when it’s total devastation. In the 19C it was possible to walk across heartland from east anglia to Dorset. There’s hardly any left, now.

WTF? Tying burning rags to cats? Why??

That's probably because most fires are started not by climate change but by arson and carelessness by man.

Climate change can mean man made fires take hold & spread quicker obviously.

I looked this up a few days ago and found out that over 85%of these fires are started by people, either deliberately or in error.

There’s always arson and there are always little shits that set things on fire. What enhances the problem so much is that the months and months of dryness we’ve had here in Suffolk have made everything as dry as a bone.

The lack of summer rain and the reliable sun have made us the bread basket of the country but it’s now getting beyond endurance and the soil management is really a worry because the soil is continually turned over in arable farming, as currently practiced, and that just destroys the sole structure and dries things off even further.

It really doesn’t take much for a fire to start and in these extreme dry conditions, not all wildfires are started by arson.

Um yes but they don't generally start in wet weather, do they?

And we have had weeks of unprecedented dryness and heat.

Yes-everyone is acting like it's all about climate change and blaming politicians for not caring about this, whereas it is related to crime/bad parenting in some cases.
Obviously cimate change is too.

Historically it is a mafia thing. The fire was in the Sicilian National Park. There is an article in the Telegraph and lots of news reports. Nothing proven as yet but there are photos of cats with rags tied to their tails.

I live in Norfolk (next door county). The fire is horrific and the consequences for nature, farming and local people will be very serious. With increasing frequency I still hear people telling me that global warming is a myth. Well, it is very clear it is not and we have to be prepared for a lot more of these type of conditions as well as being more serious about our environment.

A town near us had 11 gardens and sheds go up a couple of weeks ago after someone started a bonfire. It's a miracle it didn't get any the houses and they're terraced too. You have to wonder what on Earth some people are thinking. I bet their neighbours all hate them now.

I bet the staff at kelling Heath on high alert. I mean I know they have their fire breaks but still.

Ugh some humans utterly disgust me.

We live close to the moors here and the fires have been awful. It's a real ongoing worry. We had a bit of rain this past week, thankfully, but it's not enough.

Doubt it they’ll probably blame a boat person because they thought about having a camp fire in Calais once therefore are magically responsible.

Really feeling for anyone who lives in the area. I really hope you and your home's are safe.

Have to admit I've been wondering how to prep for something like this. There are so many of us within a mile if countryside. Mind you, even towns/cities need to be alert.

A lot of it is arsonists, they should do more to catch these people

Our Moors burned via wildfire about 10 years ago, they have still not recovered. This level of burning is in no way beneficial.

We have had many trips to Minsmere & Dunwich, and have stayed at Cliff House holiday park.

Hubby is a birdwatcher, he’s volunteered at Minsmere .. he’s very upset